Device for protecting structures against earthquake damage



Feb. 9, 192e. 1,572,574

` o. sTRoMBoRG DEVICE FORPROTEGTING STRUCTURES AGAINST EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE Filed Jan. 31', 1924 Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES OSCAR STROIVIBORG, OFVLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR PROTECTING STRUCTURES AGANST EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE.

Application led January 31, 1924. Serial No. 689,824.

To @ZZ 1li/0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, Osons SrnoMonG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Protecting Structures Against Earthquake Damage, of which the following is a specicatio My invention relates to building construction and the general object thereof is to provide an improved safety mounting particularly applicable to small dwellings, by means of which the building will be protected against damage `from earthquakes.

Other objects and advantages will appear.

Referring to the annexed drawing which forms a part of this specification- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my safety mounting in normal position.

`Figure 2 is a vertical section of my mounting taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of my mountin`0' corres ondin to Figure 1 but showino C b 7 b the building as having been moved on my mounting by an earthquake.

Figure 4i is a sectional view of my mounting corresponding to Figure 2, but showing thebuilding as having been moved on my mounting by an earthquake.

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 2 showing the building and my mounting as having been jacked up and moved back to normal position after it has been moved to one side by an earthquake.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the base member of my mounting.

My invention comprises three members, namely, a base plate member 1, a base socket member 2, and a supporting member 8. The plate member 1 is embedded in the building foundation 4 with its upper surface 5 flush with the upper surface of said foundation. Said plate member is square and is provided with an aperture 6 therein. The socket member is square but of less' area than plate 1 and comprises a bottom wall 7 and side walls 8 upstanding 'from said bottom wall. Said bottom wall is provided with an aperture 9 and two opposite side walls are provided with openings 10-10. The supporting member 3 is square and includes a top wall 1l and side walls 12 extending y downwardly most of their length from said top wall but extending a short distance above said top wall, as indicated at 18." A pair of knives l4-l4 extendtransversely withinv the supporting member 3, being joined at their up Vperends to the top'wall 11, and at their ends sition are introduced edgewise through one of the openings 10 intothe socket member 2, upon the upper edges 17-17' of `which bars the knives 1&14 rest, said knives extending across said upper edges and the knife edges 15--15 engaging said upper bar edges 17-17- The lower building sill v18 rests upon the top wall llof the supporting member 3 with the upper ends 13-13 of opposite walls 12-12 engaging the sides of said sill, and the upper en'ds of said other side walls fitting within transverse grooves 19l9 out in the under side of said sill, thus tying the slll to said supporting member so that it cannot move either longitudinally or transversely with relation thereto.

' The sill 18 is positioned on the supporting member 3 in such position that the knives 111-14 extend transversely thereof and the bars 16 extend parallel thereto. The weight of the part of the building-resting upon the knives 141-14 is just enough to sink the edges thereof into the upper edges of the bars 16-16, but not enough to shear the same. 1

The socket member 2 is pinned to the plate 1 by a pin 2O which extends through the apertures 9 and 6 in the bottom of said member and in said plate respectively.

Tf there is some disturbanceof the` nature of an earthquake vthat shakes the ground and would thus have ya tendency to shake the building, the momentum .of the building will be great enough to sink the shearing Y knives lef-14 further into the bars 16-16, and thus leave the building practically undisturbed. As the vertical movement in earthquakes is very smallrand never amount to more than fractions of inches, these bars will be able to take care of such disturbances from several earthquakes.` The bars `16 may be removed and replacedl by new ones, through openings 10-10, if they become `deeply sheared by repeated disturbances.

The upper surface 5 of` plate 1 and the lower surface of the bottom wall 7 of member 2, are smooth and said member therefore may slide on the plate 1 if there is any horiings.in opposite side walls and-.With an aperplaced under zontal disturbance that Would have a tendency to sway the building sideways.

'lhe pm 2O has shearing strength enough to prevent Wind pressures from movingthe from said ymotions.

After an earthquake or other disturbance, `When tthe buildin-g has moved to one side and sheared the pin 20, a jack maybe l the sill V`18 and. the building raised thereby so lthat the knives -l-/l'll imay @be ylifted out of the .bars .16' andthe building movedback 7to Inormalposition with the apertures and 9y inregistration. VvThe mutilated,bars/16416 and theshe-arefd .pin QO-may then be removed andotherssub- .stitutedand tliebuilding is readyto resist another.. earthquake. Y ilVhile ,il have.shoivnand-described a specific embodiment of my invention Ido not limitmyself to -tlie exact detailsy of construction and .arrangement shown, ibut .may employ-` such` changes anvdmodiiicatioiis as come Withinfthe scope of the appended claims.

Having described .my invention, .I claiml. In'adevice as .,disclosed, .a rplate provided Withan laperturepand placed Within a lbuilding foundation, a .socket `base .member placed on said plate andprovidedvvith open- .ture in its .bottom wall .adaptecbto kregister ewi-tlrthe aperture in said plate, V.azpin Ainserted :throughsaid apertures having shearing .strengthenough to prevent Wind pressures Ifrom `moving fthe building but weak enough to shear if ang earthquake yor similar disturbance takes place, bars ofsoft ,material adapted to be introduced through said openings in said side avalls'finto said base member, ya .supporting membertelesecpically mounted in said .socket gmeinbei, knives formedin said.supportingmember and resting ,in theupper edgeof said bars,the sill of--the ,building being mounted f on said usuppofrtiiig member, the wveightofthe `part of the 'building resting onI said knife edges Ybeljustenough to sink into said soft metalbars jbiitv not enough to shear'the same.

2. `In a device as disclosed,.aplate mounted in the buildingfoundation, a socket base member slidably ,mounted on said plate, Ymeans for `securingsaid socket base Vto said -plateivith suilicient strength to prevent wind .pressures from moving the building, .asupporting ,member telescopically mounted `insaid socket member, means `Within said socket; base member upon .Which said supporting member rests, said means being able .-totake careoffthe vertical movementsof the building caused by earthquakes,.the building kbeing mounted onsaidsupporting. member. 3.111 a device as disclosed, a plate mounted on .the "building foundation and provided with an aperture, a socket base member slidably mounted onsaid plate and provided -With an apertureinlthecb'ottom Wall thereof, la pin inserted through .said aperture having shearing strength to prevent Wind pressures ,fronimoving thebuilding, but Weak enough to shear if an earthquake or similar disturbance takes place, a supporting member Cfor supporting the .building telescopically vmounted in said socket base, and means .ivithin said socket base member `upon lwhich said supporting member rests for taking, care ofthe vertical movements of the build- `ing caused byearthquakes or other disturbance.

' ll. In a device as disclosed, a plate mounted vin .the lbuilding foundation, a socket .base ,member slidably mounted on y.said plate, .means for securing said socket baseto :said

:plate with suiiicient strength to vpreventvi/ind pressures from moving Vthe .building Ybut weak enough to permitthebuilding tozmove ,sideivise .by an earthquake sory ysimilar `disturbance, saidsocket Abase having ,openings in opposite vside iv alls,1bars `of soft .metal .adapted to be introduced through said: openings into said socket base member,albuild` ing-supportingmember telescopicallymounted' in saidV lsocket -lbase member, jknives formed on saidsupporting ,member resting in .the upper ,edgecf said bars,.tlie Weight :of the partfoffthe building resting on said knives being just enoughto sink ,into said ybars butfnot enough toshearth'esame.

5. .Ina device Qasdisclosed, a plate .mount- ,edin the,buildingfoundation, ya socket'lbase member slidably Amounted ,on said plate, means -for securing said socket ,base .to said plate `with sutlicient strength .to prevent Wind .pressures from Vmoving zthe building,

a supporting member: teleseepicallymounted iii said socketmember, upstanding longitu dinal ivalls on said. .supporting member,

upstanding transverse .ivallson said supporting member, the .building stille-estling on ,said supporting member. between ysaid' longitudinal .Walls .and rsaidt sill .having `transverse grooves inthe underside thereof rin which said .transverse Walls rest, and means ivithinsaid socketbase men'iber-upon ivhich said supporting member -'rests' for takingcare offthe verticalmovements caused by earthquakes. or similar` disturbances.

6. 'Ina 'device as disclosed, aplatemounted in the building foundation, a-fsocket base member slidably mounted on said plate,

meansfor securing saidsocket base tosaid plate with sutlicient strengthto prevent Wind pressures from moving the building but .Weak enough tospermiti,the'building to,move

.sdeii'ise by an earthquake or ,similarI disturbance, bars of softmetajl .mounted yin said socket `base member, la 'building-supporting member telescopically mounted in said socket base member, knives formed on said supporting member resting in the upper edge of said bars, the weight of the building resting on said knives being just enough to sink said knives into said bars but not enough to shear the same 7 In a device of the character describe-d, a foundation, a building, a support interposed bet-Ween the building and the foundation adapted to slide on the foundation, and means connecting the foundation and support opposing siliding movement of vsaid support adapted to shear to permit sliding movement of the support under excessive strains. p

8. A building support comprising a series of penetrable blocks, blades seating on said blocks and adapted to penetrate the same un der excessive strain, means supporting said blocks, and means carrying said blades and adapted to support a-buildng.

OSCAR STROMBORG. 

